Consulate Activities
2024/6/7
The Fukuoka-Hawaii Youth Culinary Exchange Program / Student Cooks Compete in Cooking Competition
Chef Ito providing feedback
On June 7, a culinary competition for students from Fukuoka, Japan and Hawaii, the U.S. was held at Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) as part of a youth exchange program between Fukuoka Prefecture and the State of Hawaii, with Consul General Kodama’s official resident chef, Shotaro Ito participating as one of the judges.
Team1: Simmered swordfish teishoku (set meal)
Team 2: Bubu arare (rice crackers) and nori (seaweed) crusted swordfish in matcha (green tea) butter sauce
As part of their sister city exchange program, Fukuoka Prefecture and the State of Hawaii launched the culinary exchange project, in which Fukuoka Prefecture sent culinary major students to Hawaii for a six-day program beginning on June 3rd. During this time, the students learned about Hawaii’s food culture by attending lectures at KCC, taking part in cooking classes and visiting local farms.
A culinary competition was held on the last day of the visit to evaluate the outcome of the program. Three teams were made consisting of two Fukuoka students and two KCC culinary arts program students. They each had to create a dish using ingredients from Fukuoka and Hawaii. Each team showcased exceptional creativity and expertise, presenting innovative dishes.
The dishes students presented were as follows:
A culinary competition was held on the last day of the visit to evaluate the outcome of the program. Three teams were made consisting of two Fukuoka students and two KCC culinary arts program students. They each had to create a dish using ingredients from Fukuoka and Hawaii. Each team showcased exceptional creativity and expertise, presenting innovative dishes.
The dishes students presented were as follows:
Team 3: Hawai'i × Japan ～ Colorful seafood plate～
After the judging, Team 3, who presented the “Hawaii×Japan～Colorful seafood plate～”, were awarded first place. They used Hawaiian swordfish with sea asparagus and kalo (taro), Yame matcha (green tea), Ariake seaweed and soy sauce from Fukuoka Prefecture to create a plate that was tasty and visually appealing.
Chef Ito gave some advice and encouragement to the students, saying: “It was wonderful that all of you students managed to overcome the language barrier and produce such high quality food in a short time. The reactions from the guests enjoying the meals, the joy of cooking, and your eagerness to keep improving and creating even better dishes are all very important. Please maintain the proactive attitude you all have, keep challenging yourselves with new things and difficulties, and take part in many more international exchange events like this one.”
